A Wine Tour for People Who Know Nothing About Wine

When it comes to wine, we have two main qualifications: Does it taste good? And can we drink it at literally any time of day? Beyond that, we’re not here to swirl glasses and pretend we know what “legs” are. We’re here to sip, enjoy, and—if we’re being honest—probably pair it with an irresponsible amount of cheese.

Also, we love a good tour. But let’s be clear: there are exactly two types of tours we’re most interested in when visiting a new city—food & wine tours and ghost tours. Preferably, in that exact order. Because, ghost hunting is significantly more entertaining with a wine-fueled confidence boost.

So when we heard about the Vino! Vino! Little Italy Wine Tour in San Diego, hosted by So Diego Tours, we were immediately in. An afternoon of delicious wine, casual education, and the kind of stories that make you feel like you suddenly do know something about tannins? Say less.

Here’s how it went down.

First Stop: Vino Carta Wine Shop and Bar—Wine, Snacks, and a Very Good Dog

Katherine: First stop—Vino Carta. A wine bar that truly has everything.

Kelsi: And by “everything,” we mean wine and a dog.

Our tour kicked off at Vino Carta, located at 2161 India St, San Diego, CA 92101, this charming little wine shop and bar has indoor and outdoor seating, snacks (a major win), and most importantly—a resident wine bar dog.

Enter: Koa, the sweetest old boxer with a sugar-frosted face, greeting every guest like they were longtime friends. We firmly believe that any experience is improved by the presence of a good dog—brunch included. The same rule applies to wine bars—if there’s a dog, it’s an automatic five-star experience.

While soaking in the laid-back, mid-afternoon wine bar energy, we noticed two women casually sipping rosé at 3 PM while working on their laptops. These women? Icons. Role models. The blueprint.

Katherine: This is giving Sex and the City meets Forbes 30 Under 30.

Kelsi: And we need a membership.

We made a note: If we suddenly decided to become productive on this trip, this would be our new ’co-wine-ing space’ (it’s like co-working, but with priorities.)

This is also where we met Magda, our tour guide, who sat down with us and gave us the rundown: where we were going, what we were eating, and why Little Italy’s food scene deserved our full attention. But before we got into the pairings, she took us on a deep dive into the history of Little Italy.

Meet Patrick: The Wine Curator Extraordinaire

After wrapping up our crash course in history, Magda introduced us to Patrick, the owner of Vino Carta. And let’s just say—this man knows his wine.

Patrick isn’t just stocking the usual suspects. According to Magda, he’s the best at constantly rotating in unique wines—pulling selections from unexpected regions around the world that you’d never find in your average wine shop. Translation? We were about to sip something rare, interesting, and potentially life-changing.

First Sips and New Friends

Katherine: First pour—something with notes of apricot? Maybe? Who knows. We’re guessing.

Kelsi: We don’t know. We never know. But we drank it anyway.

As we sipped our first wine, featuring hints of apricot, citrus, and a whisper of “sure, let’s go with that,” we got to know the other two people on our tour—a newly married couple from LA who, thankfully, knew about as much as we did when it came to wine. Meaning? We were in good company. No swirling, sniffing, or pretending to detect oak barrels from 1843 required.

Somewhere between polite introductions and debating whether this wine actually tasted like apricots or if we were just gaslighting ourselves into believing it did, we exchanged a solid pro tip: downloading the Vivino app. For the uninitiated, Vivino is a wine-tracking app that basically serves as a digital notebook for aspiring winos. You scan the label, rate what you liked (or, more likely, what you tolerated), and it helps you remember which wines to buy—or avoid—next time.

Katherine: For people who aspire to be wine people but have no real commitment to the cause…

Kelsi: It felt like a turning point. Or at least a step in the right direction.

The Most Unique Wine We’ve Ever Tasted

Next up? A wine that could only be described as what would happen if an Aperol Spritz and a Riesling had a baby.

Katherine: Easily the most unique wine we’ve ever tasted.

Kelsi: Like, if I were sitting on a veranda with a charcuterie board, sunglasses on, contemplating my life choices in the most aesthetic way possible—this would be the drink of choice.

It was light, slightly bitter but in a good way, and so wildly unexpected that we all just kind of sat there, appreciating the moment.

The Chilled Red & Our Very Mature Tasting Notes

The third wine was a red, but plot twist—it was chilled.

Katherine: Bold move.

Kelsi: But we respect it.

Kelsi swirled her glass, pretending to know what she was doing, sniffed, paused, and made a declaration that perfectly showcased our level of wine sophistication.

Kelsi: It smells like a Fruit Roll-Up.

Our new friends took another sip, considered it carefully, and then countered with their own assessment.

Newly Married Couple: It smells like cough syrup. But in the best possible way. I’m getting notes of Robitussin at the end.

Despite our wildly unrefined tasting notes, we all agreed—It. Was. Delicious! And yes, we drank every last drop of each of our wines.

Three vastly different wines, a newfound appreciation for Aperol-Riesling hybrids, and exactly zero improvement in our ability to describe what we were drinking.

But we were having a great time. And that’s what really matters.

Before heading to our next stop, we thanked Patrick for his incredible depth of knowledge, wished we had a wine shop like his back home, and, most importantly, said goodbye to Koa—our new four-legged best friend. With that, we set off, fully warmed up for whatever came next.

A Quick Stroll Through Little Italy

Katherine: Okay, so we’re not just sitting around drinking wine all day. There’s history involved.

Kelsi: See? Drinking can be educational.

Before heading to the next winery, Magda led us on a short walk through Little Italy, giving us a rundown of some of the neighborhood’s best-kept secrets and historic landmarks. First up—Waterfront Bar, the oldest bar in San Diego, where Navy sailors used to gather for strong drinks, questionable decisions, and what we assume were legendary hangovers. Still standing, still packed, and still covered in old photos, we should definitely check out.

Next, we passed by Assenti’s Pasta, aka the best pasta shop in town, according to Magda. A few blocks later, we spotted Mona Lisa Restaurant, a family-owned Italian staple that’s been thriving since the 1950s.

Katherine: Noted. We need to come back and eat literally everything.

Kelsi: Wine and carbs? Say less.

Magda hit us with a geography fact we were not prepared for—the shoreline used to reach all the way up to the railroad tracks before they dredged the bay. Now? It’s nowhere near Little Italy.

So, yes. There’s more to this neighborhood than just wine. It’s packed with history, family legacies, and the kind of random trivia that makes you sound interesting at parties.

Next stop: More wine, obviously.

Stop Two: Pali Wine—A Sleek Space with Serious Sips

Kelsi: This place is giving modern garden chic.

Katherine: Like if Restoration Hardware and Napa had a baby.

We walked into Pali Wine, which, fun fact, is short for Palisades, where their flagship winery is based. The Little Italy outpost is located at 2130 India St, San Diego, CA 92101. The space was all clean lines, warm wood tones, and an effortless indoor-outdoor flow. Think lush potted plants, sleek tables, and just the right amount of ambient lighting.

Upstairs, the rooftop patio sealed the deal. Even with a cool breeze in the air, the heaters made it cozy, and the views? A+ for sipping and airplane-watching. Whether you’re here for a casual afternoon or a stylish evening pour, this spot delivers.

First Pour: The Non-Oaky Chardonnay of Our Dreams

Katherine: First wine? Chardonnay. But wait—it’s not oaked.

Kelsi: A win for me. I prefer when my wine tastes like fruit and not like a wooden spoon.

The first pour was a natural Chardonnay, not aged in oak barrels, which sent Kelsi into a minor celebration because oaked Chardonnays are a personal nemesis. This one? Clean. Smooth. Zero oaky drama.
Accompanying the wine was a glorious charcuterie board featuring cheeses, sourdough bread, and orange marmalade. If you know us, you know that cheese + sourdough + wine = an instant good time.

Pro Tip: Get the olives. Oh. My. Gosh. They were tossed in a spicy sesame oil, had a mild-but-addictive heat, and came in a full-on popcorn-sized bowl. We have no regrets.

Second Pour: Strawberry, Banana, and…Wait, What?

Before we even took a sip of the second wine, we were given a heads-up about its flavor profile: strawberry and banana.

Katherine: I never thought I’d hear ‘banana’ and ‘wine’ in the same sentence, yet here we are.

Kelsi: That sounds… deeply unsettling. Pour me a glass.

Turns out, banana in wine isn’t as alarming as it sounds. If they hadn’t told us, we might not have even noticed it. But after the first sip? There it was—a subtle banana aftertaste, just enough to make you wonder if you imagined it.

Third Pour: The Chilled Pinot Noir

The final wine of the tasting was a Pinot Noir, served chilled—which is not something you see every day, but honestly? It worked.

Katherine: Pali really leans into the whole natural, minimally processed thing.

Kelsi: To the point where the bottles don’t even have corks. They come in crawlers.

It was smooth, fresh, and paired exceptionally well with the cheese, sourdough, and approximately one million olives we had consumed at this point.

Wine, Planes, and Cannoli Debates

Between sips, Magda filled us in on Nolita Hall Bar, a sleek, airport-adjacent bar with a live arrival board behind the counter. Why? Because Little Italy is directly under the flight path, meaning planes pass just overhead every few minutes.

Fun Fact: San Diego actually has a city ordinance that no building in Little Italy can exceed 150 feet. Why? Any taller, and you could high-five the landing gear from a rooftop bar.

Magda also introduced us to Mona Lisa Deli’s famous cannolis, and this is where things got serious.

Katherine: We are not professional chefs. But when it comes to cannolis?

Kelsi: We have very strong opinions.

Our strongest take? You know a cannoli is going to be good if they don’t pre-fill the shells. Freshly piped cannoli = guaranteed deliciousness.

Magda, who is also a chef, wide-eyed, enthusiastically agreed with our stance, reinforcing what we already knew—pre-filled cannolis are a crime against pastry. She confirmed that Mona Lisa waits until the order comes in before filling theirs, so naturally, we added it to our must-visit list immediately.

Fueled by wine, cheese, olives, and heated pastry discussions, we wrapped up at Pali and prepared ourselves for the next stop—because, of course, there was more wine to be had.

A Walk, A Pioneer, and a Cheese Controversy

Katherine: Fun fact—San Diego is actually a desert with minimal tropical vegetation.

On our walk to the next winery, Magda introduced us to Kate Sessions, otherwise known as the unofficial mother of Balboa Park.

First of all, she graduated from Berkeley… in the 1800s.

Katherine: She seems like a trailblazer.

Kelsi: Meanwhile, I can barely keep a succulent alive.

Kate’s specialty? Horticulture. She was the mastermind behind transforming San Diego’s natural desert landscape into the lush, plant-filled city we see today. In fact, most of the greenery in Balboa Park isn’t native—it was all brought in for the 1915 California Exposition, thanks to Kate.

And while we were deep in conversation about the desert that we didn’t know we were walking through, somehow, we ended up talking about cheese. Because why not?

A Trader Joe’s Mission and a Potential Betrayal of Italian Grandmothers

Katherine: So, naturally, we walked straight from “San Diego is a desert” to “What’s the best cheese at Trader Joe’s?”

Kelsi: Priorities.

Magda and Shannon, our fellow wine tour attendee, dropped two very important recommendations:

• Unexpected Cheddar from Trader Joe’s – Allegedly life-changing.
• Toscano with Black Pepper as a substitute for Pecorino in pasta dishes.

The first one? No notes. We trust the hype.

The second one? We have questions.

Katherine: Would The Pasta Queen approve?

Kelsi: More importantly, would the Nonnas approve?

We’re skeptical. Deeply skeptical. But in the name of science (and cheese), we’re willing to risk making Nonna mad.

Fueled by unexpected knowledge about both plants and cheeses, we arrived at our next wine stop, ready for whatever came next.

Final Stop: Solunto Restaurant & Bakery—Bread, Pasta, and Instant Best Friends

Katherine: At this point, we were feeling great. Toasty, even. But we needed sustenance.

Kelsi: We needed a bowl of pasta—urgently.

Luckily, Solunto Restaurant & Bakery, located at 1643 India St, San Diego, CA 92101, delivered. The moment we sat down, they placed a basket of fresh-baked bread in front of us, paired with a homemade spicy marinara sauce.

The service? Straight-up, no-nonsense Italian family energy. They set the wine down with exactly zero explanation.

Katherine: Here is a Pinot Noir. Here is a Pinot Grigio. Salud.

Kelsi: And honestly? That’s all we needed to know.

Shortly after, the main event arrived—fettuccine with bolognese sauce, topped with fresh parmesan. The pasta was fresh, cooked perfectly, and exactly what we needed.

They also accommodated Adam, one of our fellow tour attendees, with a vegan-friendly pasta and sauce, which we appreciated.

When Wine Turns Strangers Into Best Friends

As we ate and drank, we naturally fell into deep conversation—the kind that only happens after a few glasses of wine. Topics ranged from culture, heritage, careers, travel, and somehow, existential life decisions we hadn’t planned on unpacking.

By the end of the tour, Magda said her goodbyes, and we gave her our heartfelt thanks for leading such an amazing experience. But we weren’t quite ready to leave.

Katherine: So the four of us made a decision.

Kelsi: We all stayed.

We lingered a little longer, sipping our wine, finishing our conversation, and soaking in the pure, unplanned joy of great food, great wine, and new friends we didn’t know we needed. It was the perfect way to end the night.

The Cannoli Nightcap We Didn’t Know We Needed

Katherine: So we said our goodbyes to Adam and Shannon… but we had some unfinished business.

Kelsi: We needed that cannoli.

Magda built it up in our minds, and as self-proclaimed cannoli connoisseurs, we had to know if it lived up to the hype. So we walked back down to Mona Lisa, were seated immediately, and ordered two decaf cappuccinos, a cannoli, and a tiramisu.

It did not disappoint. Any of it. Somewhere, an Italian Nonna paused mid-stir, sensing that two lost souls had just found their way home.

Katherine: The cannoli? Easily top three I’ve ever had. I think I blacked out.

Kelsi: The tiramisu? Number one. No contest.

The combination of flaky pastry, creamy filling, espresso-dusted tiramisu, and perfectly frothy cappuccinos was the ideal nightcap. We kissed our fingers dramatically towards the heavens.

Katherine: The exact kind of ending you want after a full day of wine and pasta.

Kelsi: If you’re doing this tour, do yourself a favor—make the extra stop for dessert. You won’t regret it.

Final Thoughts: This Wine Tour Served Up More Than Just Great Pours

Katherine: Did we leave this tour as expert sommeliers? No.

Kelsi: Did we drink like we were? Absolutely.

This wine tour was everything we could have hoped for—great pours, great food, and the kind of spontaneous conversations that turn strangers into friends. From discovering new wines that made us question everything we thought we knew (banana in wine? Chilled reds? Who are we?) to unplanned debates on cheese, history, and aviation patterns over Little Italy, it was the perfect mix of education, indulgence, and pure fun.

But more than anything, this tour reminded us that wine is best enjoyed with good company, zero pretension, and a willingness to say ‘yes’ to whatever’s being poured. Whether it was Patrick’s rare selections at Vino Carta, the cozy rooftop vibes at Pali Wine, or the carb-filled finale at Solunto, every stop added something unique—and something we’ll be talking about for a long time.

Would we recommend this tour? Without hesitation.

Would we do it again? Tomorrow, if possible.

Until then, we’ll be trying to find a way to make “wine-fueled life discussions with strangers” a full-time job.